Various groups denounced the signing of a new military agreement between the Philippines and Japan, saying the move is a dangerous step towards war and a grave threat to Philippine sovereignty.
The Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government signed last Monday, July 8, the Reciprocal Access Agreement that would allow Japanese forces on Philippine soil the broad citizen’s movement P1NAS said has “profound historical significance that cannot be ignored.”
“This agreement would permit Japanese military forces to be stationed in the Philippines for the first time since World War II, reopening deep wounds from the brutal Japanese occupation,” P1NAS spokesperson and former Act Teachers’ Party Rep. Antonio Tinio said.
“The Filipino people have not forgotten the atrocities committed during that dark period of our history, including the systematic use of comfort women, the Bataan Death March, and countless other war crimes,” Tinio added.
Other groups, including Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), AWC-Japan (Asia-Wide Campaign against the U.S.-Japanese domination and aggression of Asia), women’s group Lila Pilipina and Migrante-Japan also strongly condemned the agreement as “a dangerous step towards increased militarization and conflicts in the Asia Pacific region.
Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa and Philippine defense secretary Gilbert Teodeoro Jr. signed the RAA in the presence of Marcos, Japanese defense minister Kihara Minoru and Philippine foreign affairs secretary Enrique Manalo in a ceremony in Malacanang.
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Still part of US strategy
Opposing groups however said the RAA is part of a broader United States strategy to contain China and maintain its hegemony in Asia.
“This agreement must be seen in the context of the ongoing US-led military build-up in the region. The US is pushing its allies, particularly Japan, towards massive militarization to serve as its proxies,” P1NAS’ Tinio said.
He pointed out the deployment of US intermediate-range missile launchers in Northern Luzon, a type of weapon banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty as well as F-22 Raptor fighter jets and Reaper drones in Pampanga.
“Now, they’re paving the way for Japanese forces to enter our country as well,” Tinio said, warning that the Philippines is becoming a springboard for multi-nation military action against China that could lead to war.
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Lila Pilipina spokesperson Sharon Cabusao-Silva condemned the RAA as anti-peace and stability in the region, instead representing a “a troubling resurgence of Japan’s hegemonic ambitions in the region, under the baton of U.S. imperialism.”
At a protest rally at the Japanese Embassy last Monday, Cabusao-Silva said it is “deeply concerning” that Japan is again expanding its military presence in the region even if it has yet to atone for its wartime atrocities against Filipinos and other nations in Asia.
She pointed out the “horrific system of comfort women” the Japanese imperial forces implemented against the region that raped thousands of women and children and devastated countless lives across Asia.
“The RAA signing demonstrates a blatant disregard for the painful history and unresolved injustices of the past. It is a slap in the face to all survivors of Japanese wartime aggression, especially the comfort women who continue to seek recognition and reparations,” Cabusao Silva said.
“This agreement dishonors their struggle and perpetuates the cycle of historical amnesia and impunity,” she added.
P1NAS also called on the Filipino people to oppose this dangerous agreement and the Senate to deny its ratification.
“We must learn from history and not allow our country to once again become a staging ground for foreign military forces. Our sovereignty and the lives of our people are not bargaining chips in the US’s game of global dominance,” Tinio said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
Various groups denounced the signing of a new military agreement between
the Philippines and Japan, saying the move is a dangerous step towards war and
a grave threat to Philippine sovereignty.
The Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government signed last Monday, July 8, the Reciprocal
Access Agreement that would allow Japanese forces on Philippine soil the broad
citizen’s movement P1NAS said has “profound historical significance that cannot
be ignored.”
“This agreement would permit Japanese military forces to be
stationed in the Philippines for the first time since World War II, reopening
deep wounds from the brutal Japanese occupation,” P1NAS spokesperson and former
Act Teachers’ Party Rep. Antonio Tinio said.
“The Filipino people have not forgotten the atrocities committed during
that dark period of our history, including the systematic use of comfort women,
the Bataan Death March, and countless other war crimes,” Tinio added.
Other groups, including Bagong
Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), AWC-Japan (Asia-Wide Campaign against the
U.S.-Japanese domination and aggression of Asia), women’s group Lila Pilipina and Migrante-Japan also strongly condemned the agreement
as “a dangerous step towards increased militarization and conflicts in the Asia
Pacific region.
Japanese foreign minister
Yoko Kamikawa and Philippine defense secretary Gilbert Teodeoro Jr. signed the
RAA in the presence of Marcos, Japanese defense minister Kihara Minoru and
Philippine foreign affairs secretary Enrique Manalo in a ceremony in
Malacanang.
Still part of US strategy
Opposing groups however said
the RAA is part of a broader United States strategy to contain China and
maintain its hegemony in Asia.
“This agreement must be seen in the context of the ongoing US-led
military build-up in the region. The US is pushing its allies, particularly
Japan, towards massive militarization to serve as its proxies,” P1NAS’ Tinio
said.
He pointed out the deployment of US intermediate-range missile launchers
in Northern Luzon, a type of weapon banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces Treaty as well as F-22 Raptor fighter jets and Reaper drones in
Pampanga.
“Now, they’re paving the way for Japanese forces to enter our country as
well,” Tinio said, warning that the Philippines is becoming a springboard
for multi-nation military action against China that could lead to war.
Lila Pilipina spokesperson Sharon Cabusao-Silva condemned the RAA as
anti-peace and stability in the region, instead representing a “a troubling resurgence
of Japan’s hegemonic ambitions in the region, under the baton of U.S.
imperialism.”
At a
protest rally at the Japanese Embassy last Monday, Cabusao-Silva said it is “deeply
concerning” that Japan is again expanding its military presence in the region
even if it has yet to atone for its wartime atrocities against Filipinos and
other nations in Asia.
She pointed
out the “horrific system of comfort women” the Japanese imperial forces implemented
against the region that raped thousands of women and children and devastated
countless lives across Asia.
“The RAA
signing demonstrates a blatant disregard for the painful history and unresolved
injustices of the past. It is a slap in the face to all survivors of Japanese
wartime aggression, especially the comfort women who continue to seek
recognition and reparations,” Cabusao Silva said.
“This
agreement dishonors their struggle and perpetuates the cycle of historical
amnesia and impunity,” she added.
P1NAS also called on the Filipino people to oppose this dangerous
agreement and the Senate to deny its ratification.
“We must learn from history and not allow our country to once again
become a staging ground for foreign military forces. Our sovereignty and the
lives of our people are not bargaining chips in the US’s game of global
dominance,” Tinio said. # (Raymund
B. Villanueva)
